Harry Brighton

Harry Brighton was a Colonel of the British Army during World War I.

Biography
Harry Brighton was a colonel of the British Army serving General Archibald Murray at the start of the Arab Revolt of World War I in 1916, and he was sent as a liaison to the Arabs during their uprising against the Ottoman Empire. He warned the future King Faisal I of Iraq to withdraw to Yenbo so that the British could send supplies to them and so they could be out of range of the Ottoman Air Force, but the Ottoman planes bombed Faisal's camp. Faisal was forced to withdraw, but Brighton's subordinate T.E. Lawrence took command of 50 irregular cavalry and set out to take the port of Aqaba to allow the British to advance into the Middle East and help the Arabs. Brighton did not think that this was possible, but Lawrence took Aqaba and began the Arab advance. Brighton admired his achievements, and he followed Lawrence on his October 1916 raids against Ottoman trains. However, Auda abu Tayi attempted to desert the Arabs, and Brighton argued with him - Auda would rejoin the Arabs in 1918. Brighton later feared that Lawrence had "gone native" and lost his loyalty to Britain, expressing fears to General Edmund Allenby that he was going to reach Damascus first and make it an Arab city. When he did so, it went to anarchy, and Brighton had tears in his eyes as he saw the anarchy of the city.